Sunday, May 27, 2012

Kyanite is a splintery, striated, sometimes translucent amplifier that originates from Brazil, Montana, North Carolina, and in Switzerland. Although it is commonly blue, it does come in green, pink, yellow, white, orange, gray, and black as well.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Yes, I'm cheating; I fell behind for letter "J" and here we are in the first week of "K" so I am cheating and combining my "J" posts. I know, shame on me, tsk tsk!

My first "J" subject is Juniper Berries; I am surrounded by them, so hey, what the heck! Obviously juniper berries grow on juniper trees, an evergreen shrub-like tree, a very common variety of tree where I live. As you can see, they are bluish in color while they are fresh, but once they fall they harden into brown or gray pebbles, which by the way, if left to accumulate on the ground can be very dangerous. I kid you not, I have damned near fallen right on my ass slipping on those perilous dried balls, just like a Saturday morning cartoon character slipping on marbles!

Juniper trees encircled by fallen berries

I grew up knowing them as poisonous, but that is so not the case; they are actually used for seasoning (dried and ground) for meat, as well as used in various herbal remedies. Some of their healing properties include: a diuretic and antiseptic for urinary tract problems, gallstones, kidney stones, eliminating crystallized uric acid, bacterial infections, and digestive issues. An anti-inflammatory for arthritis, gout, sore muscles, as well as an expectorant and decongestant, and blood purifier.

Juniper berries may be used in oils, teas, tonics, dried & ground for use inside capsules; however, a word of warning: they are not be used if you are pregnant for it stimulates the uterus and may cause a miscarriage, nor should they be used by children under 12, or by those with breast cancer or kidney disease as it may cause complications.

Onward to my second "J" topic: Justice (Tarot); the card representing Libra.... that's me! Of course it represents other things as well, but of course you already know that if you are familiar with Tarot: balance justice, consequences, legal matters, blocks/obstructions, fairness, actions and adjustments/decisions, reasoning, logic, and facts.

Rider Waite deck

Sacred Circle deck, my deck!

I love my Sacred Circle deck! Guess what is in the upper left corner.. juniper berries! AND interestingly, a spider is in the upper right corner. Why is that interesting? Well, I have suspected for some time now that Spider is one of my Totems, keeping in mind this card represents Libra (me), I find this tidbit very cool! Now why haven't I noticed this before? Hmm...

Let's examine this card further, shall we? The Web card (Justice) features (1) the Goddess Arianrhod, the Weaver Goddess, the goddess of fate and justice. Notice her knife? She has the power to cut the threads as well as weave the threads. (2) The web, which represents the spiral; the symbol of regeneration and rebirth, life and death, (3) Spider, the weaver/spinner which represents fate and destiny. Spider of teaches us how to "vibrate the web" to achieve our desires, wishes, or goals in life Spider of course has eight legs, we all know that, but its eight legs represent the four winds/elements, the four directions, the eight Celtic festivals/sabbats, and the symbol of infinity, (4) juniper berries which represent the juniper tree, the tree of purification, which is associated with the goddess of justice and truth, but also the sacred Celtic spirits of divine justice (5) the goddess's animal, the dog. Note its white fur and red ears, this coloring represents the Cwn Annwn, the fairy hunting dog. These are spirit/ghost dogs of the Wild Hunt that pursue evildoers, another symbol of justice, (6) hazel nuts in the lower left corner; the hazel tree is one of the "chieftain trees" of the Celtic lore, a symbol of wisdom for good or ill. (Source: Sacred Circle Tarot by Anna Franklin/Illustrated by Paul Mason)

Now as for Libra, the Libra has a strong sense of justice and fairness, and boy do I LOL The astrological sign for the Libra is the scales, as in the justice scales, weighing and measuring, and finding balance. Libras need balance in their lives or they become, well let's say... moody (and boy can I!). We can see both sides of the story, and weigh the pros and cons to find solutions to problems, preferably fair solutions that will satisfy everyone involved. When Libra is in balance, life is good :)

The Web/Justice card essentially represents your inner sense of right and wrong. It calls you to recognize your actions in life and reminds you that your actions effect other people as well as the Universe. Your actions are energies that spread like ripples in a pond; they vibrate and shake the entire web affecting everything it touches for good or bad. It is basically reminding you of the Threefold Law; whatever energy you send out into the Universe will be returned to you many times over. When you draw this card, you are being told to weigh the consequences of the situation and/or action(s) involved. Of course depending on surrounding cards, this could represent a legal matter, a dispute, and justice.

If this card is reversed, it could indicate that you are experiencing, or will experience, an injustice of some kind, whether it be gossip, false accusations, an legal issue, a misunderstanding, etc which may cause unwanted ripples in your life, but whatever the cause, be careful to look at both sides; really search and weigh the matter to find a sensible resolution, and consider the far-reaching consequences before reacting.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Indigo, a beautiful color that ranges from a deep blue to a blue-violet. When you think of Indigo, what do you relate it too; jeans, the Third Eye Chakra, Indigo Children, paint, The Indigo Girls? A plant? Well, let's talk about Indigo, shall we.

The color indigo acts like a sedative, and it aids in opening our intuition and encouraging connection with our Higher Self. It is the color of the higher mind; the color of divine knowledge. The color indigo can be used in areas of solitude and relaxation, a mediation room, or even a bedroom to achieve a deeper level of consciousness and relaxation. When used as color therapy, it aids in many areas, physical as well as psychological, such as: asthma, hyperthyroidism, appendicitis, Bronchitis, convulsions, cataracts, nervous ailments, Pneumonia, Whooping Cough, and nose and ear ailments.

Indigo, the Dye

Blue Wild Indigo aka Baptisia australis is an herbaceous perennial from North America This plant is where the gorgeous indigo dye originates from. The Cherokees actually used this plant to make their blue dye/paint.

Natural indigo dye is obtained from the leaves, which are soaked and fermented, mixed with lye, pressed into cakes, then dried, and powdered; it is used for dying material as well as in blue hair dye.

It has counterparts that grows in the tropics and Europe; this is a different genus, Indigofera tintoria and Isatis tinctoria aka Woad.This is where the people of Asia and Europe get their indigo dye. Unlike the Blue Wild Indigo, the dye from the Indigo tintoria is harvested from the wood of the plant. By the way, Woad is where the Celts got their blue paint/dye, and where Levi Jeans got their color.

Indigo, the Third Eye Chakra

The Third Eye Chakra is the sixth Chakra (Brow Chakra, aka your mind;s eye), located in the enter of your forehead and the Pineal Gland; this is the enter of "second sight", the psychic information center, and the connection to your Higher Self. It is the Third Eye that enables us to process the ability to send/receive psychic information, spiritual messages, intuition, to see spirits and auras, etc.

When working with stones/crystals to balance, open, strengthen, etc your Third Eye, the following stones/crystals may be used:

Indigo children are certain children believed to have very special, unusual gifts or abilities such as empathy, and telepathy, advanced creativity, etc. These children are often diagnosed with learning disabilities or behavior disabilities. Other personality traits may include: a strong will, independent, curious, "strange", intuitive, intelligent, a strong innate spirituality, an "I deserve to be here" mentality, a clear sense of purpose, and a resistance to authority or rigid structure. Most Indigo Children were born before 1987. The Indigos are "system busters". Their so-called disability labels may include: ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), Autism, and Opositional Defiant Disorder. Why the name Indigo? Their auras are supposed to be primarily indigo in color. The Indigos are not alone, in fact they are the first of three very special generations, followed by the Crystals and the Rainbows.

The Crystal Children aka Star Children, followed the Indigos, born from 1987-2012; they may possess the following qualities: introvert, peaceful, telepathic, empathic, and unusually wise for their age. The Crystals are supposed to "liberate humanity from the old karmic ways and prepare them for new knowledge." They are to assist humankind in the transition of the upcoming evolution, to help us to connect to our Higher Power, and to advocate peace and love. Their auras are opalescent or octarine with pastel hues, but sometimes seen as clear or no color, therefore the term "crystal"

The Rainbow Children, following the Crystals from 2012 to 2021, are supposed to heal the world and bring new knowledge. They are psychic, empathic, healers, strong willed, high energy, with a strong personality, they connect and resonate with colors, they bring joy to their household and those around them, they are highly creative and can manifest instantly. Now, why couldn't I be born a Rainbow Child? LOL